Astrolux EC01

Astrolux EC01 review

Astrolux EC01 Specifications

Brand / Model	Astrolux EC01
Category	EDC flashlight
LED	XHP50.2 6000K
Lumens	3500
Beam intensity	22176 cd
Battery config.	21700 (18650)
Material	Aluminum with SS features
Modes	Multi-mode Anduril firmware
Blinkies	Strobe, bike strobe + many
Reflector	OP
Waterproof	IPX8
Review date	October 2019

Introduction:

Astrolux has come out with many quality and budget flashlights over the past couple of years and every time they come out with a new one it is always something special, and in this case, it’s the EC01. Astrolux claims the EC01 is a compact high output EDC light, and it definitely fits that description. Putting out 3500 lumens as well as having the capabilities of a built-in charging port this light is an excellent option for many people.

What you’ll get:

The packaging came intact and came in a cardboard Astrolux branded box. The flashlight comes in bubble wrap which is then wrapped in a foam sheet that prevents it from rattling around in shipping and getting damaged.

• Astrolux EC01
• 18650 adapter tube
• Instruction manual
• Anduril UI guide
• Lanyard
• 2 Spare O rings

Handling of the light

The EC01 fits like a glove in the hand and it is a definite candidate for an EDC flashlight due to its size. It can be carried in the pocket without problems as it also isn’t heavy enough to weigh down your pants. The flashlight feels great in the hand with the cross pattern knurling on the handle giving some grip as well as it being relatively small in diameter. There is a set of heatsink fins on either side of the flashlight head which if touched from a certain angle can feel slightly sharp.

Tail-standing:

• This flashlight can also tail-stand with ease due to the wide tail cap providing balance.

Build Quality, knurling, threads, and anodization

The build quality is exceptional on this flashlight everything is nice and smooth except for minimal parts of the heatsink. The anodization is providing full coverage and is not scratched or dented from the factory. There is a stainless steel bezel as well as a stainless steel ring around the button that provides a nice contrast with the black body. The button is backlit by 2 green LEDs which is always an appreciated touch on any flashlight, by no means does this feel or look like a cheap flashlight.

The threads on the tail cap are massive, squared off and smooth which is always nice to see on a premium flashlight. The threads on the top half of the body tube which connect the body to the head are not squared off, they are regular pointed threads but are not thin or bad quality. The threads are nice and smooth and do not squeak when removing either end.

LEDs, Lens, Bezel and Reflector

The EC01 uses the CREE XHP50.2 LED, this is a powerful LED that suits this form factor well. It only comes in one tint which is ~6000k, other tints may be available in the future. The reflector sports an orange peel finish, this cuts down beam artifacts and promotes a smoother beam pattern. The glass is thick and very clear but is not AR coated.

The beam pattern is very appealing and smooth, there is a large definitive hotspot with bright spill to fill in the background. The majority of the beam is a cool icy blue color and the only spot that is a bit discolored is the corona around the hotspot which is slightly yellow. There is also a semi crenulated SS bezel.

Dimensions:

• Length: 12cm / 4.72 inches
• Head diameter: 3.7cm / 1.45 inches
• Body diameter: 27mm / 1.06 inches

Weight

• Empty: 124g / 4.37oz
• With cells: 190.8g / 6.73oz (Samsung 40T)

Popular Flashlights

Compared to some other popular flashlights.

From left to right: Fireflies E07 (brass version), Lumintop FW3A (copper version), Astrolux EC01, Thorfire C8s.

Astrolux EC01 Driver & User Interface:

This light uses Anduril UI which is a very popular UI for many flashlights for its ease of use but also major customizable aspect.

Modes:

• Ramping from Moon to High
• Turbo
• Beacon
• Sunset
• Candle
• Lightning
• Bike flasher
• Tactical Strobe
• Party strobe
• Momentary

From OFF:

• Press and Hold: flashlight will start to ramp from the lowest programmed setting (default is moon)
• Single-click: last used memory (excludes any special mode, only remembers last used spot on ramp cycle)
• Double click: highest ramp set
• Triple-click: Battery check
• 4x click: lockout
• 5x click: momentary (uses last used spot on ramp)
• 6x click: muggle mode

From ON:

• Double click: turbo
• Triple-click: change from ramp to stepped
• 4x click: ramp config
• Mode memory:
• Has mode memory only from last used spot on ramping or stepped cycle

Strobe/blinkies:

There are plenty of strobes/blinkies to fill your needs with this flashlight! They include candle, bike flasher, party strobe (adjustable strobe), tactical strobe, lightning storm, sunset and beacon. Click, click, hold: strobe modes
2x click in strobe modes: cycle through strobe modes
3x click from off: blinkies
2x click in blinkies: cycle through blinkies modes

Lock-out mode: Anduril provides lockout mode
4x click from off: lockout

PWM:

Upon testing and research, this light has PWM on all ramped modes except Turbo.

Batteries and charging:

The EC01 takes a 21700 cell, it can accept flat-top cells but not protected cells as they are too wide for the body tube as well as too long for it to close without crushing the battery. The manufacturer includes a 18650 sleeve if you wanted to use those you could as well. There is a USB-C port included on the side of this light that can be used to charge a battery that is inserted in the light, the button will glow red when charging and green when complete (port charges at a very fast 2A charge rate!).

It’s a great rechargeable flashlight, for sure.

Performance:

Amp measurement:

No definitive modes so I chose spread out spots on ramp to measure:

• Moon: 0.01A
• Low(~100lm): 0.17A
• Med(~600lm): 0.78A
• High(~1900lm): 3.3A
• Turbo(~3400lm): 14.8A (with Samsung 21700 40T)

Runtime graph

The Astrolux EC01 has a predictable runtime with it starting to drop off from turbo after about 10 seconds all the way down to ~800 lumens and bounces around from there up to 1000 and down to 600 back and forth after it finally dying after 140 minutes with a 4000mAh Samsung 21700 40T.

Astrolux EC01 Lumen measurements (for each mode)

I used a homemade lumen tube design that many people use, it is made from 3 – 3” PVC Street 90s and a cap with a hole drilled in it to hold the DR Meter LX1330B which I bought on amazon.

• Moon: 1 lumen
• Low: 112 lumens
• Med: 632 lumens
• High: 1889 lumens
• Turbo: 3478 lumens

Throw numbers:

The factory claims 298m of throw, after measuring from 5m with the Dr Meter LX1330B I got a total of 31,500cd @1m and 355m of throw which is roughly 16% more output than the factory claims.

Beamshots

Overall conclusion

Author: Mike

Overall Rating: very good ★★★★

Overall I like this flashlight a lot, it has lots of good features that many people look for such as lightweight, small size and high brightness. The tint could be better but there is now a 5000k version available which Id say would be a better choice for EDC purposes. I give this light a 4 out of 5 stars for its good features and overall feel compared to other lights of this caliber.